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THE
1837 FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN MAINE*
*Maine's
only organization dedicated to the settlers and citizen militia who
developed, defended, & protected the Northern Boundary of the
State of Maine and the United States prior to the Treaty of Washington,
1842
FEB
16, 2009
AM
EVENT IN MILFORD, ME NEAR SITE OF CHARLES BAILEY
HOTEL
WHERE CAPT JOHN FORD'S KENNEBEC VOLUNTEERS ( 2ND DIVISION
OF HALLOWELL & AUGUSTA) OVERNIGHTED
PM
EVENT IN LINCOLN NEAR SITE OF JACOB FISH'S TAVERN WHERE CAPT
GEORGE W TOWLE'S RIFLE COMPANY (6TH REG 1 BRIG 3RD DIVISION) JOINED CAPT
FORD TO PROCEED TO T10 R 5
- email for more details to participate or sponsor
Invites
the Communities who sent their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons to
the Aroostook, Madawaska & Fish River Valleys to list their local
historical societies and libraries
on our
website and to participate in this dedication to Maine History.
Programs
“in the works”
Website
at sites.rootsweb.com/~me1837
Acquiring
land for construction of an Aroostook War Memorial Library
Acquiring
National Registry designation of an Aroostook Expedition & War
Historical Trail from Lincoln, Penobscot County to T 10 R 5, Aroostook
County
Annual
events for & about Maine's militia
relating to the Issuance of General Order No 7
on Feb
19th, 1839
INFORMATION
AVAILABLE:
Rosters of militia submitted to Adjutant
General's Office for selection of Drafted Militia members
Select pension requests from Soldiers and
supplies resulting from participation in conflict
1825 Journal of Massachusetts Land Agent
respecting Journey & Inspection of Aroostook &
St. Johns for trespassers & issuance of land deeds to
settlers
Misc Military Petitions, re-reorganization of
pre 1839 militia companies & militia Laws (1834-35)
Time relevant editions of Bangor Whig &
Courier-Jan, Feb & March, 1839
Expense reports of Maine Surveyor General Isaac
Small-Madawaska Road- 1837
Misc Correspondence relating to 1830/31
Arbitration & Arrests in Madawaska
Letter Journal & Diary of Capt William
Parrot-Dept Land Agent in command of Fort Fairfield
Our
board of directors include:
Roxanne
Munksgaard, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
(207) 735-8360
Roberta
Williams, Research &
Development
direct
descendant of John and Mary Knowlen of T 10 R 5
Their
homestead was across from the Aroostook Expedition Camp-later to be used
as the defensive breastworks during the Aroostook War
&
Harrison
Atwood - soldier in 5th Division hdqtr at Scarborough
Daniel
Walker, Northwest
Territories Director-Genealogist & Publisher
email:
[email protected]
direct
descendant of Isaiah Pishon (b. Passadumkeag to Isaac Pishon &
Thankful Page md 1802 Eddington. Isaiah d. 1844 in Masardis.) &
Abigail Knowlen, participant in Maine migration to Northwest
Territories.
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WHEN GOVERNMENTS ACT IN BAD FAITH......
The Constitution of The United States of America is the first and primary law of the land.
This concept, when first formed, was unique to the world of political/governmental principles. European political/governmental principles were known to change radically with the ascension of a new head of government. Land ownership, treaties, voting rights, legal rights, occupational rights, marriages, inheritance contracts and all aspects of society could be altered with the issuance of an edict or decree-if the current head of state woke on the wrong side of his or her bed
Colonial America was aware of this practice-it lay at the heart of the war of independence, and nowhere was it more known then in the District of Maine. The lands north of the Merrimack River and South of The St. John river were originally granted to individuals-Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason. Outside of the control of the Companies of Massachusetts, many colonists who disagreed with the social and religious practices of early Massachusetts found refugee in the northern regions across the Merrimack River. By 1669 the land, along with political control had reverted back to the crown as the original contracts and compacts expired. The District of Maine was given by King Charles II to his brother, James, Duke of York. James, an avowed Roman Catholic, was not wanted as a ruler in England and was replaced by his son-in-Law & daughter, William & Mary. The crown retained political control over the area now called the district of Maine and was administered by the crown representative in Massachusetts. It was the physical description in this grant given by Charles to James that served as the basis for the territory claimed by the United States as The District of Maine and the location of the Northeastern Boundary of The United States during the discussions in Paris, 1783.
The original 1669 grant covered the territory from the St Lawrence river to the Atlantic Ocean, under the name of Cornwall County. Settlements extended from the Piscataqua River to the St Croix. When William and Mary ascended the throne, the land of this grant was absorbed into the Province of Massachusetts in 1692 as Yorkshire County-York County at the time of the Revolution. During this time, two tracts of land containing 1,000,000 acres each were purchased by a wealthy banker- William Bingham. These tracts became known as the Bingham Purchases in the deeds of early Massachusetts and Maine, particularly in north central Penobscot County, Maine. Deeds prior to 1820 located in present day Burlington, Passadumkeag, Lee etc would have location designations such as “lot XX township X NBP”- lot XX in township XX, north of Bingham Purchase.
During the revolutionary war, some of the large landowners of northern Massachusetts remained loyal to the Crown and found themselves subject to local terrorism. Many of them fled to New York and later into Nova Scotia. In consequence, the state of Massachusetts confiscated the titles to their lands and later would issue land titles for those properties, in payment, to the militia soldiers who served during the revolutionary war years. It was during the maturing of “the next generation” that land disputes within Maine arose. When the children of the fleeing loyalists chose to return to the homes of their extended families who remained in the United States; influence; local power and monies of those extended family members in Massachusetts resulted in many of the heirs receiving back the confiscated titles to their lands; nullifying the titles given in the post revolutionary war years. These 'heirs” attempted to collect dues or payment from the former militia members, now simple hardworking farmers trying to build a home for their families. They offered no compensation for having increased the value of the properties with improvements, buildings and cleared farm lands -demanding instead inflated prices for the improvements themselves. Local mob rule often met the civil authorities of Massachusetts sent to enforce the claims of these prior Loyalists. As early as the 1790's local meetings in Portland, New Gloucester and other communities met to discuss separation from Massachusetts-by conflict if necessary.
Ignored by the defenses of the Federal Government and the state of Massachusetts, seeing it's port cities invaded, burned and occupied by foreign forces during the War of 1812, residents of the district of Maine appointed delegates to the 1815 Hartford Convention with the intent to declare it's separation from the Union of States that had not lived up to its obligations of national safety for it's citizens. Only the signing of the Treaty of Ghent and a last minute plea by Daniel Webster prevented the “nullification:” of the compact between the several northeastern regions from the United States at the Convention.
It was this historical, practical experience and lessons learned that were in the minds of the citizens and leaders of 1830's Maine during the years of dispute over the territory of the watersheds of the St. John, St. Croix and Aroostook River valleys.
When considering the actions and behaviors of the interested parties, the primary consideration to be examined first is the world political climate as well as the government and intention of King's Monarchy. George IV assumed practical power as Regent for his father in 1811, King in his own right in 1820, passing the crown on to his Brother William in 1830. The kings of Hanover and their governments never thought very highly of it's colonial citizens. If they had, the situation would not have deteriorated to the conditions that led to the colonial declaration of independence in the first place. Their governments were influenced and controlled by Britain's conservative Tory party. During the negotiations of the 1783 treaty in Paris, the peasant and working classes were already rumbling about sharing the political control of the French government after the fashion of the United States. British diplomats were more concerned about the possibility of revolution in France than any potential for losses in the colonies. The opinions of George III in his refusal to acknowledge the independence of the Americas is common knowledge. His motivation for the treaty was to not be distracted from the threat of French uprisings with the sure conviction that he could always return and bring the colonists back under the control of the British crown. The government of Great Britain never intended to abide by the terms of the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
In the newly formed United States, similar difficulties were arising from the reactionary views of the participants in the revolution. During the initial Continental Congresses, the focus had been on getting free from the control of Great Britain with little or no discussions on the practical issues that would result once the conflict was over. Maine's experiences had shown her clearly that the concepts of a strong central government vested in the authority of a few people had many pitfalls. Surrounded as she was by the strong centralist Federalist supporters of New York and Massachusetts, her citizens had more in common with the Jeffersonian democrats of Virginia. This conflict was never more apparent then during the Jackson administration, when the executive branch made it's strongest moves to consolidate power and replace the Congress as the voice of the United States. Maine's Senator Peleg Sprague challenged the Constitutionality of Jackson's Indian Removal Policy, Governor Smith defied the rulings of congress in the authority of it's Arbitration committee regarding the Northeastern Boundary issue and in the ultimate defense of a State's Rights and obligations to it's citizens Governor Fairfield- in contradiction of national policy-declared war on a foreign power when the Federal Government refused to take appropriate action to protect the interests of it's own citizens. It is not surprising that it's citizen support went to Southerner Henry Clay and the newly forming Whig Party while it's citizens were organizing Emancipation rallies and setting up slave underground railway escape routes.
The year 1837 became a pivotal year in the history of the northern border conflict. Michigan had entered the Union as a state, even though her own northern border was undefined by the Treaty of Ghent. Britain's failure to extend the 1834 rights of the commoner into it's Canadian colonies had, by 1837, resulted in localized rebellions in Lower Canada aided and assisted by some Americans in the disputed regions of the upper Great Lakes. William died as Monarch and his niece, 18 year old Victoria ascended the throne. Victoria's parent, Edward, Duke of Kent had been the Crown authority during the formative years of eastern Canadian growth. Prince Edward Island is named for him as well as other locations in the Maritimes region. With the death of her parent while she was an infant, her political education had fallen to Lord Melbourne- an avowed Whig. Her ascension, while it brought the Whigs to power in Britain, left disgruntled Tories still in power in the Colonies. Here in the United States, the Jackson administration was preoccupied with the question of renewing the charter on the National Bank (he opposed a national bank and it was not renewed-sending America's economy into the Panic of 1837), occupying Florida (with the cooperation of Great Britain's West Indies governors) and preparing to Challenge the authority of Mexico's newly elected President, Santa Anna, over Texas.
As a young reader, I enjoyed the works of Earl Stanley Gardner and Ellery Queen. I knew that somewhere within the words and story were hints, small items often overlooked, that were the key to unraveling the mystery before the last page was turned. Now in the later years of my life I find I automatically process information in this way, my only clue is a feeling something doesn't sound right, or I'm missing something.
As I began reading histories associated with the northern border areas, I couldn't help feeling I was missing something. My original conclusion was that activity escalated as a result of the Lower Canadian rebellion and the Carolina Affair- That New Brunswick had an urgent need for the military route to the Great Lakes area and was willing to risk war to achieve/acquire it. But a rebellion resulting from failure to comply with a 1834 law in Parliament didn't explain the call for arbitration in 1831.
Documents exchanged between then Governor Samuel Smith and the Secretary of State Livingston during the 1831 arbitration period and the arrests of settlers in Madawaska indicates that increased British activities had only recently started, in spite of an agreement to maintain the status quo until the question of the boundary was decided. According to a letter by Mr. Deane, British encroachments into the areas had begun as early as 1824/25 but were almost non-existent following the discovery of the source and mouth of the St. Croix River twenty years earlier. So what was so special about 1824/5? As in a mystery novel, the answer was found within the pages of a little known journal written by the Massachusetts Land Agent while on a touring visit to the upper St. John's River valley with the Maine land agent. On their return from the Madawaska region in early October of 1825, they encounter a storm with hurricane force winds and they see evidence of a forest fire. Upon returning to Frederickton, they discover large sections of the city have been destroyed by fire. It is only noted because the two Land agents had been requesting copies of timber permits issued within the region by the General Surveyor of New Brunswick and he was not available to offer an answer due to the fact that he was home fighting the fire that threatened his home and buildings. They had to leave the area without the reports. The journal clearly indicates that officials in Frederickton fully accepted the authority of the Maine and Massachusetts land agents to operate in the regions covered by their tour, however references to casual boat discussions with traveling members of the Assembly betray the Canadian perception that the United States had somehow “tricked” the Government into the 1783 Treaty and local Canadian authorities had no intention of honoring the land conditions. The land agents journeyed to the Upper St. John river, Grand Falls, Madawaska, and the upper Madawaska Settlements where they issued land grants, visited half-pay officers, made census notes of settlers and numbers in families, who was cutting timber and quantities etc. None of the time relevant documents and news accounts in the United States carried information about this particular fire in reference to the border dispute issue. However, an Internet search brought me to a web page-two in fact. SquireCountyCrier.com, The day it Rained Fire & the other on Rootsweb's local history -The Miramichi Fire of 1825 by Lillis R. Zimmer.
According to these two sites, the fire that the two land agents encountered was burning through the Miramichi River Valley and Nashwaak Valley of north central New Brunswick, almost due north, northeast to Frederickton. The fire was said to have extended 70 miles long at one point with embers traveling as far as Halifax. Termed The Devil's Fire by Sir Howard Douglass, the Lt Gov of New Brunswick, he recorded many of the facts and effects of the fire on the Province of New Brunswick- “No green needles of conifers, not brightly painted Maple leaves.. only tall pointed spears of bleakness were here now...” Rivers and streams dried up, and as he traveled the river valley, all he saw was charred remains, no settlements, no homes, carcasses of livestock. In New Castle parish over 200 people died, the community in ruins, only 12 homes of 200 structures stood standing, Gretna Green lost 64 of its 70 homes-the north bank lost 200-300 people, 600 buildings and 875 cattle. The spruce and Pine stands of the communities gone. Doulastown, Chatham, and Black River settlements, gone. The British Government sent word that the Crown would NOT aid or compensate it's citizens for their losses. 6000 square miles of the province had been destroyed.” The effect was that the commercial members of the timber industry of New Brunswick chose to invade the territory of Maine to compensate for the loss of the timber lands of New Brunswick.. One wonders what would have resulted if Lt. Governor Douglass had not been a Baronet and a member of the British class that disdained the colonial elements of Maine. Both sites acknowledge that in addition to Quebec and Nova Scotia sending assistance, The United States (particularly Boston and New York) on hearing of the plight of New Brunswick sent aide as well. If the Lt Governor of New Brunswick had approached the Executive Department of Maine to work out a timber agreement within the region of the St Johns and Aroostook River Valleys, rather than just take it, perhaps the hard feelings and the Aroostook War could have been avoided.
The following lists of documents tell most of the story of the Northeastern (and Northwestern) Boundary dispute.....
The Sept/Oct 1825 Journal of The Massachusetts Land Agent's tour of the Upper St Johns river valley
18 March 1831 Department of State Letter to Gov Smith regarding out come of January arbitration meeting
4 September 1831, letter of introduction from N. B. Major Gen Archibald Campbell, to Gov Smith of Maine
13 September, 1831 letter from Campbell to Smith telling of incursions by Maine citizens into NB controlled lands.
28 September 1831 letter from Maine resident Jesse Wheelock telling of his arrest in Madawaska
29 September, 1831 Letter from US citizens & residents of Madawaska requesting assistance from arrest
29 September, 1831 letter from Smith to Campbell acknowledging receipt of his letter
1 October 1831 Letter from British Charge' d'affairs Bankhead to Sec of State Livingston
5 October 1831 Letter from Livingston to Smith re Charge'd 'affairs Bankhead's letter
10 October 1831 Smith to Campbell
12 October 1831 Smith to Livingston
12 October 1831 depositions of John Baker and Phineas R Harford
13 October 1831 Smith to Livingston including depositions
15 October 1831 Livingston to Charge' d' affairs Bankhead
21 October 1831 Livingston to Smith
November 2, 1831 letter of John G. Dean with history of Northern Part of Maine beginning with 1782 Pierre Lezette.
November 10, 1831 Smith to Livingston
January 1832 message of Governor Smith to the Maine Legislature on the status of the Northeastern Boundary issue
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